Buffer wheel



A. LEVETT BUFFER WHEEL Feb. 13, 1934.

Filed Jan. 16, 1932 fiatented Feb. 13, 19354 UNITED PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in cloth buffer wheels.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a buffer wheel made up of a plu- 5' rality of disks of cloth so arranged and stitched together as to form a compact wheel body which will not stretch or become distorted in use and which will not fray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buffer wheel of the above described character which is made up in such a manner as to pro vide a plurality of rouge receiving pockets which will hold the rouge and thereby conserve the same as it will not be thrown off as is the case with 7other wheels and thus make it necessary that it be frequently applied.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cloth buffer wheel made up of a plurality of cloth disks secured together in such a 0manner as to form a plurality of earn-distantly spaced relatively stilf points which operate in the nature of cutting teeth against the article which is being buffed.

The invention will be best understood from a iconsideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the ishowing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in plan of the complete buffer wheel embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view showing the buffer wheel disks assembled ready for stitching, a number of the disks being broken away to show the arrangement of the warp and woof threads thereof;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View in plan of a modified form of disk wheel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the buffer embodying the present invention is "composed of a plurality of cloth disks, preferably about eighteen in number. Each of these disks is indicated by the numeral 1. In assembling the disks the same are placed together in concentric relation in such a manner that the direction of the warp and woof fibers of one disk will be at an acute angle to those of the adjacent disk and thus the fibers through the buffer wheel will extend in all directions so that after the disks are secured together in the manner hereinafter described the wheel will not become distorted or misshapen upon being used. Figure 2 illustrates the manner in which the disks may be disposed so as to have the fibers thereof extend in all directions. After assembling the disks in the manner described they are stitched together by the transverse or radial rows of stitching, as indicated by the numeral 2, there being preferably eight radial rows or four complete cross rows so that the wheel will be divided into eight segments. After stitching the disks together in this manner there is applied to each side or face of the wheel thus formed, the eight pointed star-like body of material which is indicated by the numeral 3. This material is so cut that the apex 4. of each point will terminate at the edge of the wheel. The body 3 is then stitched around its edges in the manner shown. Following the application of the body 3 to the Wheel body there is applied to each side face of the wheel a second eight pointed star-like member which is indicated by the numeral 3 and the apexes thereof are directed along the same lines as those of the star 3 and they terminate at points substantially midway between the center of the body and the periphery in the manner illustrated.

These second or smaller disks 3' are stitched to the body in the same manner as the disks 3. The stitching of the disk bodies upon the two faces of the wheel passing completely through the latter.

It will thus be seen that the areas between the points 40f the star-like body 3 form pocket areas of V formation, which pocket areas are indicated by the numerals 5, which as shown, open outwardly through the periphery of the wheel. Each of the points 4 overlies a line of stitching 2 and, therefore, the pocket areas between the points 5 fall between these radial lines of stitching.

After the wheel body has been formed in the manner described with the star-like outside sheets of material attached thereto, a continuous spiral row of stitching is made which starts at the center of the wheel and works the outer edge thereof in the manner illustrated. This spiral row of stitching is indicated by the numeral 6.

In the place of the spiral row of stitching 6 the wheel may be provided with the diagonal rows of stitching which are indicated by the numeral 7 and illustrated in Figure 4. By this arrangement the body of the wheel is divided into a plurality of 110 diamond-like areas and each row of stitching terminates at the edge of the wheel. Either of these methods effectively binds all of the elements of the wheel together so that a certain degree of rigidity is given thereto.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that a cloth buffer wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention will be sufficiently rigid or hard to give the best polishing action, but will not be so hard as to scratch or unnecessarily wear the surface against which it is worked.

The desired degree of cutting action is obtained through the provision of the pointed sections which extend entirely to the edge of the wheel and which border the pocket areas 5 and these pocket areas which open outwardly through the periphery of the wheel trap rouge between the disks so that after a quantity of rouge has been applied to the wheel the same may be used for a considerable period without having to apply additional rouge, as the same instead of being thrown off of the surface as fast as applied, will settle into the pockets and thus be slowly fed to the surface as the wheel is in use.

By forming the straight transverse stitches through the disks the threads of which extend at a bias to the adjacent disks, the buffer is made stiffer or more rigid and is also prevented from fraying or stretching. The eight pointed stars stiffen the wheel at fixed points along its periphery so as to give a rigidity at these points which acts in the nature of cutting teeth upon the article being buffed thereby making it possible to perform bufling operations with less rouge than would ordinarily be required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:--

A buffer wheel of the character described, comprising a plurality of superimposed disks arranged concentrically, a star-like cloth body disposed against each side of the body of disks and having a plurality of points each extending to the periphery of the disk body, a second star-like body disposed against the outer face of each of the first bodies and having an equal number of points arranged to extend along a line passing through the points of the first body, the points of the second mentioned star-like bodies being located a substantial distance inwardly of the points of the adjacent first mentioned bodies, each of said star-like bodies being stitched to the disk bodies throughout the edge thereof, the stitching passing through the disk bodies, and radial lines of stitching passing through the disk bodies and the star-like bodies upon opposite sides thereof, said radial lines of stitching passing through the points of the star-like bodies.

ALEXANDER LEVETT. 

